I’m not quite sure where I got this image, but I know I saved it about a year ago because I loved how it exemplified the complicated emotional process of working with conflicting emotions. This often comes up for us in moments of living outside of intention, e.g., disliking a behavior of ours, unhappy with an action, exchanging harsh words with another, or assuming an undesirable role. These moments leave us confused, often accompanied by a deep sense of mistrust in ourselves or interpretation of an experience. We then tend to focus on how we wished we felt, behaved, or acted, condemning the more negative emotion(s) and ultimately ourselves.
The challenge here is to find space to take a mental step back, view all feelings as, first, real and, then, valid. Fully acknowledging this competing emotional state and further, recognizing this is a feeling I am having, not a defining part of who I am. With this clearer picture, we can then get back to a place of groundedness in choosing an intention that resonates.
Happy mental health awareness month friends! Try and take time to step back and check in with yourself.
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